Electrolytic machining system and method

ABSTRACT

An electrolytic machining system includes a controller, a feeding device coupled to the controller, a platform coupled to the controller and positioned opposite the feeding device, an electrolysis cell installed on the platform and configured to receive a workpiece, a cathode coupled to the drive member, a power supply module electrically coupled to the controller and the cathode, a processing tank communicating with the electrolysis cell, a pump communicating with the processing tank, and an electro-hydraulic servo valve communicating with the pump and the cathode and coupled to the controller. The controller can control the feeding device to translate in a direction toward and away from the workpiece in a processing gap, simultaneously control the electro-hydraulic servo valve to adjust a flux of the electrolytes passing through the electro-hydraulic servo valve to enable the electrolytes received in a machining area of the workpiece to have a stable hydraulic pressure.

FIELD

The subject matter herein generally relates to an electrolytic machining apparatus and method which uses hollow electrode tool.

BACKGROUND

Electrolytic machining is performed by concentrating electrodissolution on certain parts of a workpiece as required to form recesses, bores, patterns, etc.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Implementations of the present technology will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the attached figures.

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of an embodiment of an electrolytic machining system.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a method for electrolytic machining using system of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the different figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments described herein can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, methods, procedures and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the related relevant feature being described. Also, the description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and the proportions of certain parts have been exaggerated to better illustrate details and features of the present disclosure.

Several definitions that apply throughout this disclosure will now be presented.

The term “coupled” is defined as connected, whether directly or indirectly through intervening components, and is not necessarily limited to physical connections. The connection can be such that the objects are permanently connected or releasably connected. The term “inside” indicates that at least a portion of a region is partially contained within a boundary formed by the object. The term “substantially” is defined to be essentially conforming to the particular dimension, shape, or other feature that the term modifies, such that the component need not be exact. For example, “substantially cylindrical” means that the object resembles a cylinder, but can have one or more deviations from a true cylinder. The term “comprising,” when utilized, means “including, but not necessarily limited to”; it specifically indicates open-ended inclusion or membership in the so-described combination, group, series and the like.

An electrolytic machining system can include a controller, a feeding device coupled to the controller, a platform coupled to the controller and positioned opposite the feeding device, an electrolysis cell installed on the platform and configured to receive a workpiece used as an anode, a cathode coupled to the drive member, a power supply module electrically coupled to the controller and the cathode, a processing tank communicating with the electrolysis cell and configured to store a plurality of electrolytes, a pump communicating with the processing tank and configured to pump the stored electrolytes out of the processing tank, and an electro-hydraulic servo valve communicating with the pump and the cathode and coupled to the controller. The feeding device can be configured to translate the cathode in a direction toward and away from the workpiece in an initialization processing gap. The power supply module can be configured to be electrically coupled to the workpiece. The electro-hydraulic servo valve can be configured to adjust a flux of the electrolytes passing through the electro-hydraulic servo valve. The controller can be configured to control the electro-hydraulic servo valve to be opened at a predetermined injection frequency, and thereby adjust the flux to a predetermined injection flux during translation of the cathode with respect to the workpiece, so as to enable the electrolytes received in a machining area of the workpiece to have a stable hydraulic pressure while the cathode is in the initialization processing gap.

A method for electrolytic machining of a workpiece can include the following procedures; an initialization processing gap, a processing voltage, a predetermined injection frequency of electrolytes, and a predetermined injection flux of electrolytes are set in a controller; a workpiece is installed and positioned in an electrolysis cell, by a platform moving the electrolysis cell; the workpiece is positioned in the initialization processing gap by a drive member, a plurality of electrolytes are provided to an electro-hydraulic servo valve and a cathode by a pump, the cathode is translated in a direction toward and away from the workpiece in the processing gap to machine the workpiece, simultaneously controlling the electro-hydraulic servo valve to enable the electrolytes to flow into the cathode at the initialization predetermined injection frequency and flux.

FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of an electrolytic machining system 100 configured to machine a workpiece 300 which is used as an anode. The electrolytic machining system 100 can include a controller 10, a drive member 21, a feeding device 23, a platform 25, a fixture 30, a cathode 40, a power supply module 50, an electrolysis cell 60, a processing tank 70, a pump 80, an electro-hydraulic servo module 90, a plurality of wires 200, and a plurality of supply pipes 400.

The drive member 21 can be coupled to the controller 10 and configured to control the drive member 21. The feeding device 23 and the platform 25 can be coupled to the drive member 21. The drive member 21 can be configured to drive the feeding device 23 and the platform 25 to move. In at least one embodiment, the controller 10 can be a computer; the feeding device 23 can be placed above the platform 25 and spaced from the platform 25. The feeding device 23 can be a lifting mechanism and installed on the platform 25. The drive member 21 can be integrated in the controller 10, and the controller 10 can be configured to drive the feeding device 23 and the platform 25 to move directly.

The fixture 30 can be substantially rectangular and firmly installed on an end portion of the feeding device 23. The drive member 21 can be configured to drive the fixture 30 to move along a Z-axis. The fixture 30 can define an opening (not shown) on an end portion and a channel (not shown) communicating with the opening on an inside portion. In at least one embodiment, the feeding device 23 can drive the fixture 30 to translate in a direction toward and away from the platform 25 at an moving frequency in a processing gap, so that the cathode 40 fixed on the fixture 30 can vibrate or pulsate at the moving frequency in the processing gap to machine the workpiece 300. A vibrator (not shown), such as an ultrasonic wave generator, can be installed on the fixture 30 or the workpiece 300 as long as an electrode, such as the workpiece 300 or the cathode 40, vibrates while machining the workpiece 300.

The power supply module 50 can include a pulse power supply 52 and a current sensor 54. The pulse power supply 52 can be electrically coupled to the controller 10 via a wire 200 and configured to covert a voltage transporting from the controller 10 to a pulse voltage. The current sensor 54 can be electrically coupled to the controller 10 via a wire 200.

The cathode 40 can be firmly installed on the fixture 30. The cathode 40 can be a hollow tube, be electrically coupled to the pulse power supply 52, and communicate with the fixture 30. The current sensor 54 can be electrically coupled to the wire 200 which is coupled to the pulse power supply 52 and the cathode 40, and configured to detect and feedback a current pulse flowing through the pulse power supply 52 and the cathode 40 to the controller 10. When the feeding device 23 moves close to the processing gap, the controller 10 can control the drive member 21 to stop the feeding device 23 from moving toward the workpiece 300 via a detection result of the current sensor 54.

The electrolysis cell 60 can be securely installed on the platform 25. The platform 25 can move the electrolysis cell 60 along an X-axis or along a Y-axis. The electrolysis cell 60 can be substantially rectangular and define an opening 61 toward the feeding device 23. The electrolysis cell 60 can be configured to collect a plurality of electrolytes (not shown). The processing tank 70 can communicate with the electrolysis cell 60 via a supply pipe 400 and can be configured to store the electrolytes. The pump 80 can communicate with the processing tank 70 via a supply pipe 400 and can be configured to pump the stored electrolytes out of the processing tank 70.

The electro-hydraulic servo module 90 can include a reservoir 92, an electro-hydraulic servo valve 94, and a servo controller 96. The reservoir 92 can communicate with the pump 80 via a supply pipe 400 and can be configured to store the electrolytes transported from the pump 80. A supply pipe 400 can communicate between the electro-hydraulic servo valve 94, the reservoir 92 and the fixture 30. The servo controller 96 can be electrically coupled to the controller 10 and the electro-hydraulic servo valve 94. The controller 10 can be configured to control the servo controller 96, and thereby control the electro-hydraulic servo valve 94 to adjust a flux of electrolytes to flow into the cathode 40. The electrolytes can flow into the cathode 40 at a predetermined injection frequency and a predetermined injection flux via the electro-hydraulic servo valve 94. The predetermined injection frequency of the electrolytes can match with the moving frequency of the feeding device 23. In at least one embodiment, the servo controller 96 can be integrated in the controller 10, and the controller 10 can control the electro-hydraulic servo valve to adjust the flux of electrolytes flowing into the cathode 40. The reservoir 92 can be omitted, and the electrolytes transporting from the pump 80 can be stored in the supply pipe 400 coupled to the pump 80 and the electro-hydraulic servo valve 94. The electrolytes can be circulated and reused from the processing tank 70 to the cathode 40 and the electrolysis cell 60 via the supply pipes 400.

FIG. 2 illustrates a flowchart in accordance with an example embodiment. The example method 500 is provided by way of example, as there are a variety of ways to carry out the method. The method 500 described below can be carried out using the configurations illustrated in FIG. 1, for example, and various elements of these figures are referenced in explaining example method 500. Each block shown in FIG. 2 represents one or more processes, methods or subroutines, carried out in the example method 500. Additionally, the illustrated order of blocks is by example only and the order of the blocks can change according to the present disclosure. The example method 500 for electrolytic machining of the workpiece 300 can begin at block 501.

At block 501, the controller sets an initialization processing gap, a processing voltage, the predetermined injection frequency of electrolytes, and the predetermined injection flux of electrolytes.

At block 502, the workpiece is installed in the electrolysis cell, the controller controls the platform to move the electrolysis cell to position the workpiece, so that the workpiece is substantially positioned opposite the cathode.

At block 503, the workpiece and the cathode are electrically coupled to the pulse power supply, the controller drives the feeding device to move toward the workpiece, and the cathode coupled to the feeding device is positioned in the initialization processing gap. In at least one embodiment, the workpiece can be electrically coupled to a positive side (+pole) of the pulse power supply, the cathode can be electrically coupled to a negative side (−pole) of the pulse power supply. While the feeding device is moving the cathode toward the workpiece, the current sensor can detect the current pulse flowing through the power supply and the cathode, and feedback the current pulse to the controller. When the feeding device moves the cathode along the Z-axis close to the initialization processing gap, the controller can control the feeding device to stop moving, so that the cathode coupled to the feeding device can be positioned in the initialization processing gap.

At block 504, the pump transports the electrolytes to the electro-hydraulic servo valve via the supply pipe, and the electrolytes transported to the electro-hydraulic servo can have a stable hydraulic pressure.

At block 505, the controller controls the feeding device to translate in the direction toward and away from the workpiece at the moving frequency in the initialization processing gap, thereby control the cathode to translate in the direction toward and away from the workpiece at the moving frequency in the initialization processing gap. The controller simultaneously controls the electro-hydraulic servo valve to open at the predetermined injection frequency of electrolytes and to adjust the flux to the predetermined injection flux of electrolytes, so that the electrolytes flow into the cathode at the initialization predetermined injection frequency and flux to have a stable hydraulic pressure in a machining area of the workpiece.

In at least one embodiment, when the cathode 40 translates in the direction toward and away from the workpiece 300 among the initialization processing gap, the cathode 40 can have a stable speed. When the cathode 40 moves toward the workpiece 300, the controller 10 can control the electro-hydraulic servo valve 94 to be closed, so that the electrolytes cannot pass through the electro-hydraulic servo valve 94 to the cathode 40, and the electrolytes received in the machining area of the workpiece 300 can spill into the electrolysis cell 60. When the cathode 40 moves away from the workpiece 300, the controller 10 can control the electro-hydraulic servo valve 94 to be opened, so that the electrolytes can pass through the electro-hydraulic servo 94 at the initialization predetermined injection frequency and flux and flow into the cathode 40, and thereby flowing into the machining area of the workpiece 300 via the cathode. A flux of the electrolytes injected into the cathode 40 while the cathode 40 is moving away from the workpiece 300 can be twice as much as a flux discharged from the machining area while the cathode 40 is moving toward the workpiece 300, so that the flux of the electrolytes discharged from the machining area while the cathode 40 is moving away from the workpiece 300 can be equal to that while the cathode 40 is moving toward the workpiece 300, and the electrolytes received in the machining area can have a stable hydraulic pressure.

In at least one embodiment, when the cathode 40 moves toward the workpiece 300, the controller 10 can control the electro-hydraulic servo valve 94 to be opened, as long as the flux of the electrolytes discharged from the machining area while the cathode 40 is moving away from the workpiece 300 is equal to that while the cathode 40 is moving toward the workpiece 300. For example, when the cathode 40 moves toward the workpiece 300, a predetermined injection flux while the electro-hydraulic servo valve 94 is being opened is equal to a charging flux while the electro-hydraulic servo valve 94 is being closed, so that the predetermined injection flux while the cathode 40 is moving away from the workpiece 300 can be three times as much as the charging flux described above while the electro-hydraulic servo valve 94 is being closed. In this way, the flux of the electrolytes discharged from the machining area while the cathode 40 is moving away from the workpiece 300 can be equal to that while the cathode 40 is moving toward the workpiece 300.

While the present disclosure has been described with reference to particular embodiments, the description is illustrative of the disclosure and is not to be construed as limiting the disclosure. Therefore, those of ordinary skill in the art can make various modifications to the embodiments without departing from the scope of the disclosure, as defined by the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An electrolytic machining system comprising: a controller; a feeding device coupled to the controller; a platform coupled to the controller and positioned opposite the feeding device; an electrolysis cell installed on the platform and configured to receive a workpiece used as an anode; a cathode coupled to the feeding device, wherein the feeding device is configured to translate the cathode in a direction toward and away from the workpiece in an initialization processing gap; a power supply module electrically coupled to the controller and the cathode, wherein the power supply module is configured to electrically coupled to the workpiece; a processing tank communicating with the electrolysis cell and configured to store a plurality of electrolytes; a pump communicating with the processing tank and configured to pump the stored electrolytes out of the processing tank; an electro-hydraulic servo valve communicating with the pump and the cathode, and electrically coupled to the controller, wherein the electro-hydraulic servo valve is configured to adjust a flux of the electrolytes passing through the electro-hydraulic servo valve; wherein the controller is configured to control the electro-hydraulic servo valve to be opened at a predetermined injection frequency, and adjust the flux to a predetermined injection flux during translation of the cathode with respect to the workpiece, so as to enable the electrolytes received in a machining area of the workpiece to have a stable hydraulic pressure while the cathode is moving in the initialization processing gap.
 2. The electrolytic machining system of claim 1, wherein the electrolytic machining system further comprises a fixture coupled to the feeding device and configured to receive the cathode.
 3. The electrolytic machining system of claim 1, wherein the electrolytic machining system further comprises a drive member coupled to the controller, the feeding device and the platform are coupled to the drive member, and the drive member is configured to drive the first drive and the platform to move.
 4. The electrolytic machining system of claim 1, wherein the electrolytic machining system further comprises a reservoir communicating with the pump and the electro-hydraulic servo valve, the reservoir is configured to store the electrolytes transporting from the pump.
 5. The electrolytic machining system of claim 1, wherein the power supply module comprises a pulse power supply electrically coupled to the controller and the cathode, the pulse power supply is configured to covert a voltage transporting from the controller to a pulse voltage.
 6. The electrolytic machining system of claim 1, wherein the power supply module further comprises a current sensor electrically coupled to the controller and a wire which is coupled to the pulse power supply and the cathode, the current sensor is configured to detect and feedback a current pulse to the controller.
 7. The electrolytic machining system of claim 1, wherein the electrolysis cell defines an opening toward the feeding device, the opening is configured to receive the workpiece.
 8. A method for electrolytic machining of a workpiece, the method comprising: setting an initialization processing gap, a processing voltage, a predetermined injection frequency of electrolytes, and a predetermined injection flux of electrolytes in a controller; installing a workpiece in an electrolysis cell, and positioning the workpiece by driving a platform to move the electrolysis cell; positioning the workpiece in the initialization processing gap by driving a feeding device; providing a plurality of electrolytes to an electro-hydraulic servo valve and a cathode by a pump; translating the cathode in the direction toward and away from the workpiece in the processing gap to machine the workpiece, simultaneously controlling the electro-hydraulic servo valve to enable the electrolytes to flow into the cathode at the initialization predetermined injection frequency and flux.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises providing a pulse power supply to the cathode and the workpiece.
 10. The method of claim 8, wherein when the cathode moves toward the workpiece, the controller closes the electro-hydraulic servo valve, and a plurality of electrolytes received in a machining area of the workpiece spill into the electrolysis cell, when the cathode moves away from the workpiece, the controller open the electro-hydraulic servo valve, and a lot of electrolytes transporting from the pump pass through the electro-hydraulic servo valve and the cathode to flow into the machining area of the workpiece, wherein a flux of the electrolytes flowing into the cathode the cathode is moving away from the workpiece is twice as much as a flux discharged from the machining area the cathode is moving toward the workpiece, so that the electrolytes received in the machining area have a stable hydraulic pressure.
 11. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of electrolytes are provide to the electro-hydraulic servo valve and the cathode by a pump and a reservoir communicating with the pump, the reservoir is configured to store the electrolytes transporting from the pump.
 12. The method of claim 8, wherein the cathode is translated in the direction toward and away from the workpiece by a drive member coupled to the controller.
 13. The method of claim 8, wherein the electro-hydraulic servo valve is controlled to enable the electrolytes to flow into the cathode at the initialization predetermined injection frequency and flux by the controller and a servo controller coupled to the controller. 